No govt link in ACC probe against BNP leaders: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today claimed that there is no government involvement in the on-going investigation by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against top BNP leaders.

“We have no hands in the Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation against top BNP leaders. As an independent body, it acts independently,” Quader said rejecting BNP’s allegation of government’s influence in the investigation.

Stating that the ACC has summoned a former minister of AL government and a lawmaker for their alleged financial scams, Quader said the anti-graft body could not be able to summon them if there was any government interference in its activities.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was addressing a press conference at the party chief Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office in Dhaka to chalk out programmes marking the Mujibnagar Day which will be observed on April 17.

‘Tk 125cr transaction likely part of plot’

Meanwhile, in a discussion at AL’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, the party’s joint general secretary, alleged that the unusual bank transactions worth Tk 125 crore by 10 BNP leaders may be a part of plot.

“It is the government’s responsibility to find out the facts whether BNP is hatching any conspiracy. If they have spent the money legally, then why are they (BNP leaders) fearing it,” Hanif said.

The ACC has recently launched a probe into an allegation of the dubious bank transactions by 10 BNP leaders in a month.

The ACC today put forward letters to the respective banks asking its authorities for providing all necessary information to the commission for proving the matter.  

BNP, however, said ACC has launched the investigation at the behest of the government to mislead people and weaken its ongoing movement for ensuring immediate unconditional release of the party chief Khaleda Zia.